Table 1 Overview of study phases

I

Step 1

Conduct needs assessment

• Establish an intervention monitoring group

• Perform a systematic literature review

• Conduct a mixed-methods study into needs, beliefs & perceptions of patients with chronic kidney disease and care providers toward chronic kidney disease (self-management) and the use of eHealth (self-management) interventions

II

Step 2

Identify outcomes, performance objectives, and determinants

• Formulate program outcomes

• Specify performance objectives

• Specify determinants of change

• Map the performance objectives to the determinants and create a matrix of change objectives

Step 3

Select theory-based methods and practical strategies

• Review potentially relevant theoretical methods

• Match each determinant to the relevant method(s)

• Translate methods into practical strategies to target each determinant

• Monitoring group reaches consensus on methods and practical strategies

Step 4

Develop a tailored ‘Medical Dashboard’ based intervention (plan)

• Develop an intervention plan by tailoring the core components of the Dutch Medical Dashboard to the Chinese context

• Member check with the target population

Step 5

Develop an adoption- and implementation plan

• Identify potential adopters and implementers

• Specify program use outcomes and performance objectives

• Specify determinants of change

• Map the performance objectives to the determinants and create a matrix of change objectives

• Design a plan for adoption and implementation

• Member check with the target population

III

Step 6

Develop an intervention evaluation plan

• Specify the two-arm, hybrid 2 trial design and:

-Develop the effectiveness evaluation plan

-Develop the implementation evaluation plan